The name is Wenger…Arsene Wenger. Sorry I missed that…?

The two old foes Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson came together in September for a charity function to raise funds for the League Managers Association Benevolent Trust. Hostilities will doubtless be resumed on Saturday at noon when Arsenal’s porous defence - eight goals conceded in three games meets Manchester United’s elegant gunslinging quartet of Tevez, Rooney, Ronaldo and Berbatov. United though shipped three goals themselves to Hull last week.  Arsenal have scored 15 in five games before tonight’s Champions League game and have a day’s advantage in terms of rest. Ten of their last 11 goals have come from different players.

The betting makes interesting reading for what could be a high scoring game. 4-4 is 129/1 which is not beyond the bounds of possibilities. In fact anything involving one side to score three goals is more than 21/1 looks tempting.

All the Arsenal v Manchester United odds are here

Bet Chelsea

Frank Lampard is physically an exceptional footballer. Until last season the 30 year old barely missed a game. His coverage of the picth in a normal 90 minutes exceeds nearly every player in the Premier League. But the rub is that he is 30. Chelsea’s capitulation in giving him a five year deal is an odd call. the more so as he is not the only thirtysomething around Stamford Bridge these days. Deco is 30. Didier Drogba is 30. This is a good team but as Sir Alec Ferguson has pointed out you don’t win championships with old players, especially considering the intensity of Premiership football.

Euro 2008 was a clear pointer to the fact that youth can prevail in the likes of Holland and Russia. across town Arsene Wenger, that most intellectual of football coaches, has plainly committed the club to youth. And it makes good business sense. Today he sold right back Justin Hoyte to Middlebrough. Hoyte is 23 and has been with the club since he was 11. Arsenal also received a percentage of the money that Spurs spent on David Bentley. Wenger’s policy is good business and produces good football. And he has not been scared to pay the money for teenagers like Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsay.

Lampard’s deal values him notionally at £30million which is rather more than Jose Mourinho would have paid to take him to Internazionale Milan, although Chelsea perhaps consider that anyone else they might have brought in would have cost similar in wages plus the transfer fee. Lampard said he was very happy. You bet, Frank. There a reccession on the way, unemployment is rising and you just trousered £30million.

Lampard has always been a lucky player for Chelsea. A great many of his long speculative shots have caught a fortunate deflection. He almost plays for it. This is the luck that deserts him when he puts on an England shirt. Roman Abramovich better trust he bought the lucky Lampard and that as has happened with England and Steven Gerrard the Chelsea midfield is not now so crowded he will get shunted out of the play.

Bet Manchester United

Ole Gunner Solskar holds the another European Cup before his testimonial

There will be fond memories of Ole Gunner Solskar around the Premier League grounds but his type of player is increasingly out of fashion. The title race for 2008/9 will be decided in midfield. As ever Manchester United’s Alex Ferguson was ahead of the game when he signed first Michael Carrick from Spurs and then Owen Hargreaves from Bayern Munich to bring steel and guile into his midfield. It was a move that others have followed. Felipe Scolari brought in Deco to bring some zip and flair to Chelsea and has refused to let Frank Lampard go. Arsene Wenger’s only major purchase so far was to bring in Sami Nasri to compliment Cesc Fabregas in midfield. It seems after a summer of yes and no, that Rafa Benitez will get Gareth Barry to bring muscle to the Anfield army. Juande Ramos has offloaded centreforwards in favour of a dynamic midfield of Luka Modric and David Bentley. In fact all the big money has been on midfielders which means it is going to be tight in the centre circle in upcoming matches…or perhaps it is a defensive mindset that says that only teams with quality in midfield will have the vision to outwit strong defences, so it is safer to buy proven middle men than to play against them?

Crystal ball time. The first Saturday of the football season is the hardest weekend to call. Last season was last season, everyone is pumped up, some fitter than others, the sun is shining and it is all very unfootballing, unseasonal and so are the odds. There are historically two things to watch out for if we are going make money betting on football matches this season. This weekend because there is no form at all to go on, it is probably the least predictable of any weekend to come. For the last couple of years you could have kept yourself in beer and sandals by doing a double on Chelsea and Manchester United each week A double at £10 would return £17.20, make it a triple with Liverpool would return £29.74 and pop in Arsenal for a quad and your money might harvest £36.28. That may be a bold bet for a first Staturday.

 The other unknown is what kind of season is it going to be in terms of goals scored. Towards the end of last season Aston Villa were popping goals in for fun. Is that the way to go? Portsmouth have invested in a very sharp looking new attack with Jermaine Defoe and Peter Crouch and reportedly Shaun Wright Phillips on his way and he could make a differernce. United reputedly have a £20million bid in for Spurs Dimitri Berbatov possibly, surely, only if Cristiano Ronaldo is off to the Madristas. Otherwise a forward line of Berbatov, Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez could be falling over each other like drunken ballerinas to actually put the ball in the net? Too much artistry, perhaps or maybe the master Scottish plan is to withdraw Rooney into mdifield, though probably not as far as full back. Nor has Felipe Scolari as yet shown his hand although for sure he must conclude that the only area of genuine improvement he might bring to Stamford Bridge would be on the wings…that is if he has not got so many fullbacks flying up and down the touchline he does not need anymore wingers?

It is interesting that Chelsea play Portsmouth on the first day of the season. A Pompey victory is beautiful odds of 8/1 and maybe it could be that Chelsea are well up themselves coping with some fancy Brazilian system while Harry Redknapp’s boys do the basics and steal it. The end of Jose Mourinho’s unbeaten home run might be just the kind of cathartic, purging experience to launch a new era and genuine attack minded football on all fronts. Look what happened to them at Barnsley in the FA Cup last winter. Hardly looked back.

Another curious tie is the mystery of Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal hosting an optimistic West Bromwhich Albion. Is there maybe a draw in this for the Baggies? 9/2 are tempting numbers. 11/1 for a win sounds a little far fetched but any more departures from north London and it could all go boing boing boing.

Aston Villa host Manchester City which says goals if Mark Hughes new striker Jo is as good as reports and City sprung up the league apace in the sunshine last year.

Bolton could destroy Stoke, Hull might surprise Fulham but there is nothing in the astrology that says the Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle can get anything at Manchester United.

Tottenham have a nasty game at Middlesbrough and don’t appear to currently have a forward line or certainly in terms of the rumour mill they have all been sold. Juande Ramos is too shrewd for that to happen, so probably too earkly to bet. Liverpool won’t like a trip to Roy Keane’s Sunderland either and in a reverse sense the West Ham Academy of Footballing Arts won’t get any bursaries out of Steve Bruce’s Wigan who finished very strong last term.  

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The Emirates: Probably only Arsene Wenger really knows the true strength of the Arsenal team that he has in his charge at the Emirates Stadium for next year. He has always subscribed to the Dutch theory of letting youth and speed come to the fore although whether Theo Walcott is going to be the answer for him is a tricky one. The £5 million Aaron Ramsey is a few years away too.  Looking back last year Wenger was unlucky to lose Eduardo just when the goals were flying in. Statistically Arsenal were only four points off the title and goals dried up towards the end of the season. Arsenal fans may grumble, but the rest of us admired. It was mathematically a close run thing and there was plenty of betting money going on them as late as February. Can Wenger go on with the structure of this team or does he have to inject a magic mix of new blood? A whole double decker bus of rumours and gossip has been running down the road. He has been linked to just about every footballing talent on the continent.
Former keeper David Seaman has been critical too, although over the years Wenger has been proved right. Holding midfielder Mathieu Flamini and keeper Jens Lehmann have already left the Emirates and Alexander Hleb is looking like joining them. Reports that both Barcelona and AC Milan are preparing massive bids for African Footballer of the  Year Emmanuel Adebayor, meanwhile, which according to his agent is 80% a done deal,  would leave the team looking particularly lightweight up front.. Eduardo could return in time for the start of the season, but after such an injury there must be doubts as to how effective or quick he can be. Goals win titles, so where will they come from?

Samir Nasri of Marseilles has been linked to a move for weeks and looks a likely lad in the midfield. Other rumours like Peter Crouch seem, surely, to be just that. But Wenger will have taken heart from the Russians, Holland and the Turks at the Euro 2008 and seeing high octane young teams playing disciplined football with unsung players looking to make a name for themselves and their team. Whether he will keep the cash locked up in the safe or splash big on perhaps one of Cesc Fabregas’s teammates in the Spanish team post the Euro 2008 remains to be seen. The Russian options seem less likely. The dice are not thrown as yet. Wenger, who has been on Euro 2008 sponsorship patrol with Castrol has just distanced himself from speculation.

“I know a lot has been written about us, but I am very calm. Why? Because I don’t know why I should be nervous. It’s like when you take a penalty, if you are nervous it doesn’t help. I will approach it with my usual calm. My biggest challenge is to make sure I have a competitive team next year no matter who it is.”  Given that Arsenal are 1499/1 against relegation and 5/1 to lift the title, he is probably right to be relaxed. West Brom come to the Emirates on the first Saturday of the season which could give us an idea.

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Saturday August 16 - first day fixtures and betting here